Beijing asks New Delhi to withdraw troops from the Himalayan region where the borders of India, China and Bhutan meet.

China has issued a stark warning that its patience has a limit and demanded that India withdraw troops from the border between the two countries. Beijing said its People's Liberation Army (PLA) has shown "utmost goodwill" and a "high level of restraint" but the situation could easily change if New Delhi's forces do not pull back.

What started as a cross-border dispute over China's construction of a road project in an area, also contested by Bhutan, has now snowballed into a tense stand-off. Both sides have been mobilising troops in recent weeks near the border areas.

In the latest development, China has accused India of building up troops near the border and making improvements to infrastructure. Beijing's defence ministry used some strong words to warn India not to underestimate China's "confidence and capability" when it comes to defending its sovereign rights.

Both defence and foreign ministers released statements late on Thursday, 3 August, asking the Indian side to scale back as the two countries' foreign ministers are due in the Philippines for a regional security summit.

"It has already been more than a month since the incident and India is still not only illegally remaining on Chinese territory, it is also repairing roads in the rear, stocking up supplies, massing a large number of armed personnel," said the foreign ministry statement.

Even as the Chinese ministries issued warnings, state television channels broadcast videos of live-firing taking place in Tibet – close to the border flashpoint. News bulletins said the live-fire exercises were held in some unidentified parts of Tibet as part of army's continuing drills in recent weeks.